Tiantai

The Tiantai Scenic Area is located in the central part of Mount Jiuhua UNESCO Global Geopark. It is a high mountain sightseeing area of Mount Jiuhua, extending south to Daoseng Cave, west to the Minyuan Scenic Area, and north to the Huatai Scenic Area, covering an area of approximately 8 square kilometers. The scenic area is characterized by "majesty, strangeness, distinctiveness, and divinity", with abrupt strange peaks, layered steep cliffs, and rugged rocks. The main summit of Tiantai, at an elevation of 1,306 meters, is one of the principal peaks among the ninety-nine peaks of Mount Jiuhua, ranking only after Shiwang Peak (1,344 meters) and Qixian Peak. In 1993, construction began on a cable car from Minyuan to Baijingtai, which became operational in October 1994. The cable car is 1,350 meters long with a vertical drop of 476 meters. In 2019, the Tiantai Cliff Carvings cluster was listed as the eighth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units of Anhui Province.

The Tiantai Scenic Area is the core area of Mount Jiuhua’s Buddhist culture, with a profound Buddhist historical heritage. According to legend, during the Tang Dynasty, the Silla monk Jin Dizang (Jin Qiaojue) once dwelled here in meditation, leaving behind the "Jinxian Cave" relic. It is recorded that the eminent Song Dynasty monk Zonggao, upon visiting Tiantai, left the verse: "Having traversed Tiantai without making a sound, one stroke of the clear bell makes ten thousand mountains ring." This indicates that there were already temples here during the Song Dynasty. In the first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368), the layman Chen Lütai donated funds, and the resident monk Zhaolian rebuilt Tiantai Temple, turning it into a Buddhist monastery. In the 59th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1720), the monk Chenchenzi rebuilt the temple and named it "Huomai An" (Buried Alive Hut). It was destroyed by war during the Xianfeng era and rebuilt again in the 16th year of the Guangxu era (1890). In 1955, the Qingyang County People’s Government allocated funds to renovate Tiantai Temple. In 1983, the State Council designated Tiantai     Temple as a national key Buddhist temple in Han Chinese areas. Within the scenic area, there are numerous temples, including the national key temple Tiantai Temple, the provincial key temple of Anhui Province–the Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Terrace, Guanyinfeng Shangyuan (originally named Yuantong An), and Diaoqiao An (also known as Cuiyun An), as well as historical structures such as Fuxing An (built in 1911) and Chaoyang An (first built in the early Republican period).

The core attractions of the scenic area include:

Tiantai Temple (also known as Dizang Temple or Dizang Chanlin), located at the main summit of Tiantai at an elevation of 1,306 meters. It is a national key temple, first built in the Song Dynasty.     The existing building is the Grand Hall, reconstructed in 1998, a three-story palace-style structure. The upper floor houses the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, and the middle floor houses the Kṣitigarbha Hall. In front of the temple, there are cliff carvings such as "Non-Human Realm" and "Central World".

Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Terrace (Gu Baijingtai), located on the western side of Tiantai Peak, first built in the Qing Dynasty. According to legend, Jin Dizang once chanted sutras here for 49 days, leaving behind the holy relic of the "Footprint Stone" on the stone slab. Beside the temple are odd-shaped rocks such as the "Rock of the Great Peng Listening to the Sutra" and the "Rock of the Immortal Striking a Drum".

Guanyinfeng Shangyuan, built in the Qing Dynasty, situated on a rock cliff at an altitude of 1,100 meters. The three-story building has an ancient path in front and a sheer cliff at the back. Beside the temple, a solitary standing rock bears a striking resemblance to the female form of Guanyin.

Diaoqiao An (Hanging Bridge Nunnery), first built in the Qing Dynasty. In 1985, an ancient wooden bridge was converted into a single-arch stone bridge. The nunnery sits on the bridge, with the bridge inside the nunnery. On the rock cliff beside the nunnery is a carving of the calligraphy "The Finest Mountain South of the Yangtze" written by Xu Shiying, the governor of Anhui Province during the Republican period.

Shiwang Peak, the highest peak of Mount Jiuhua. From its summit, one can look far into the distance toward Mount Huangshan and the Yangtze River. It features the landscape of "Ten Kings Paying Homage to Kṣitigarbha".

Candle Peaks, two cylindrical peaks facing each other from north to south, with elevations of 1,261 meters and 1,252 meters, shaped like candles. The clumps of trees on the peaks resemble candle wicks. On the southern Candle Peak, there is a strange rock called "Monkey Paying Homage to Guanyin".

The scenic area preserves a cluster of cliff carvings dating from the Ming Dynasty to the Republican period, distributed on cliffs and rock faces at elevations ranging from 600 meters to over 1,340 meters, stretching about 5 kilometers. Representative works include "Non-Human Realm" inscribed by the intendant Zhu Zuoding in the 56th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1717), "A View of the Small Mountains Below" inscribed by Xie Hui and others in the 27th year of the Guangxu era (1901), and "How Lofty the Jiuhua, Reaching the Heavens" inscribed by Sun Yuanliang during the Republican period.

The Tiantai Scenic Area is famous for its "Tiantai Dawn Sunrise", one of the "Ten Scenes of Jiuhua". Visitors can watch the sunrise from the Sun-Cupping Pavilion at the summit of Tiantai Peak, where the sea of clouds surges and the red sun leaps up, presenting a magnificent spectacle. An old saying goes, "If you haven't reached Tiantai, you haven't truly visited Jiuhua." It is a must-see destination for all visitors to Mount Jiuhua. In terms of transportation, visitors can take the cable car from the Phoenix Pine in Minyuan to the mountaintop, which takes about 10 minutes; alternatively, they can hike up the stone steps, which takes about 4 hours. The stone-paved path runs all the way, with ever-changing scenery along the route.